For those of you who got a recent divorce to be with your new Fiancee

[ILoveTan 0]

Just curious ... did you bring up your recent divorce or mention anything about it in your letter about how you met in the I-129F?

My divorce decree will only be dated a few days before the filing of the I-129F, do I need to bring it up at all?

Thanks

ILOVETAN

[YuAndDan 153]

I would bring this up and attach a letter of evolution of relationship to the I-129F petition. USCIS should approve anyway, and anything you attach to the I-129F and gets approved, is one less thing that the counselor officer can use to deny at the visa interview.

US Con Vietnam is know to be very hard nosed.

Edited June 26, 2008 by YuAndDan

[CBR 0]

I didn't mention it in my letter of intent to marry. I simply sent a copy of my divorce papers. I had no problems or questions about it. There's a part on the i-129f that asks about previous marriages...I also filled this part out appropriately. That's all. My timing was close too with the divorce date and filing of i-129f (also hasn't been an issue, nor questioned by uscis nor my fiance's k-1 interview at the consulate).

Good luck!

[KimandRuss 0]

Even though we had been separated for years, my divorce was only 'final' the day before I mailed the petition. I did not make any mention of this as i'm sure they understand couples can be apart well before a divorce is considered final.

That being said... as Dan stated, Vietnam Consulate is a whole different creature than is New Zealand so perhaps a mention of when you were actually separated would serve you well.

[*JG* 2]

Yeah, I agree. I didn't mention it. It has no real relevance on anything. I was seperated and in the process before I even met my now-husband.

[pushbrk 13,176]

I would bring this up and attach a letter of evolution of relationship to the I-129F petition. USCIS should approve anyway, and anything you attach to the I-129F and gets approved, is one less thing that the counselor officer can use to deny at the visa interview.

US Con Vietnam is know to be very hard nosed.

For a high fraud, hard nosed Consulate like HCMC, I would do the evolution letter inserting brief mention of when the divorce occurred in the timeline. Do keep the letter to the point and as "matter of fact" in tone as possible. Same reason Dan gave. One less thing for the Conoff to use against you.

Places like Canada and Austrailia or the EU, sure, skip it.

[raymaga 25]

We were waiting for my divorce to be final, and as soon as I got the papers, we sent our I-129F off to Nebraska.

I never mentioned the fact in our letter of intent, and it was never an issue throughout the whole process.

[YuAndDan 153]

Even though we had been separated for years, my divorce was only 'final' the day before I mailed the petition. I did not make any mention of this as i'm sure they understand couples can be apart well before a divorce is considered final.

That being said... as Dan stated, Vietnam Consulate is a whole different creature than is New Zealand so perhaps a mention of when you were actually separated would serve you well.

Yes, and a whole lot different than Canada.

Persons immigrating from Third world countries tend to get put through a much higher level of scrutiny due to the higher level of visa fraud. I know from a lot of reading of people who get denied at the Consulate In China, that a recent divorce can cause the IO to ask for a detailed Evolution of Relationship letter from US Citizen. Vietnam is much like China in this regard.

[ILoveTan 0]

Even though we had been separated for years, my divorce was only 'final' the day before I mailed the petition. I did not make any mention of this as i'm sure they understand couples can be apart well before a divorce is considered final.

That being said... as Dan stated, Vietnam Consulate is a whole different creature than is New Zealand so perhaps a mention of when you were actually separated would serve you well.

Yes, and a whole lot different than Canada.

Persons immigrating from Third world countries tend to get put through a much higher level of scrutiny due to the higher level of visa fraud. I know from a lot of reading of people who get denied at the Consulate In China, that a recent divorce can cause the IO to ask for a detailed Evolution of Relationship letter from US Citizen. Vietnam is much like China in this regard.

Thanks, I agree. My letter is now 5 pages long. I know, I know ... way too long, but there is really no way to explain in less detail and ANSWER the kind of questions Vietnam would want to know answers to. (Plus, I can't be the ONLY person on earth who is long winded) :-)

I don't go on and on about the divorce, so far what I have is just basically - when I met and married my ex-husband, I was a totally different person and our marriage was based on things that really had nothing to do with love and affection, and I never anticipated changing so much. During that time, I went to Vietnam for travel and enjoyed it and learned the language and kept visiting the country. I was separated from my ex when I met Tan. Then I give tons of specific dates and details about how me met and fell in love and let them make the leap that falling in love with Tan is what prompted the official divorce (which is true).

Too much isn't necessarily BAD unless you open up new cans of worms by saying too much. I just tried to cover everything and give DETAILS (not to write a romance novel) but so they can see specific things that can't really be made up and see we have a genuine relationship. Vietnam is just a whole different ballgame. They suspect everything.

I love this person so much I feel like my eyes are going to implode in their sockets. Can I just say that and be done with it?

I even sometimes worry if giving them TOO MUCH PROOF could be a bad thing!!!!!

ILOVETAN

[william_wallace 8]

I attached a letter explaining of my previous marriage, when we seperated, got divorced etc. I thought it was better to as she was a US citizen.

[rebeccajo 14]

I even sometimes worry if giving them TOO MUCH PROOF could be a bad thing!!!!!

ILOVETAN

Well actually I think it can be.

For the I129F to be approved, all that needs to be in that packet is proof you are free to marry (certified copy of your divorce decree); proof you have met in the last 2 years; proof you are a US citizen; and proof that both of you intend to marry (letters of intent).

I would do two things in the case of a visa application eventually landing in HCMC.

Number One: I would research my rear end off for anecdotal accounts of recent applications wherein the USC was recently divorced. I'd study how much 'bonafide' evidence went into the I129F packet. Personally, I'm thinking you need some but not two much. You do want to create a picture for the conoff of your relationship, even though the adjudicator at the US Service Center doesn't need it. You sure as hell don't need a five page letter. If I were the conoff and I saw that, I probably wouldn't read it all to begin with, and I'd probably think the beneficiary had really caught themselves a live one. Your recent divorce will be problematic in the eyes of the conoff - you are going to need to hit it and hit it hard at the interview. But only recent evidence will tell you how much you want to send for NOW.

Number Two: I'd get me a lawyer in HCMC. And I'd probably do it before I filed. I hate to tell you this, but your case is full of red flags and you may need an advocate who knows the law and who knows what the conoff can LEGALLY get away with and what they can't.

[pushbrk 13,176]

Even though we had been separated for years, my divorce was only 'final' the day before I mailed the petition. I did not make any mention of this as i'm sure they understand couples can be apart well before a divorce is considered final.

That being said... as Dan stated, Vietnam Consulate is a whole different creature than is New Zealand so perhaps a mention of when you were actually separated would serve you well.

Yes, and a whole lot different than Canada.

Persons immigrating from Third world countries tend to get put through a much higher level of scrutiny due to the higher level of visa fraud. I know from a lot of reading of people who get denied at the Consulate In China, that a recent divorce can cause the IO to ask for a detailed Evolution of Relationship letter from US Citizen. Vietnam is much like China in this regard.

Thanks, I agree. My letter is now 5 pages long. I know, I know ... way too long, but there is really no way to explain in less detail and ANSWER the kind of questions Vietnam would want to know answers to. (Plus, I can't be the ONLY person on earth who is long winded) :-)

I don't go on and on about the divorce, so far what I have is just basically - when I met and married my ex-husband, I was a totally different person and our marriage was based on things that really had nothing to do with love and affection, and I never anticipated changing so much. During that time, I went to Vietnam for travel and enjoyed it and learned the language and kept visiting the country. I was separated from my ex when I met Tan. Then I give tons of specific dates and details about how me met and fell in love and let them make the leap that falling in love with Tan is what prompted the official divorce (which is true).

Too much isn't necessarily BAD unless you open up new cans of worms by saying too much. I just tried to cover everything and give DETAILS (not to write a romance novel) but so they can see specific things that can't really be made up and see we have a genuine relationship. Vietnam is just a whole different ballgame. They suspect everything.

I love this person so much I feel like my eyes are going to implode in their sockets. Can I just say that and be done with it?

I even sometimes worry if giving them TOO MUCH PROOF could be a bad thing!!!!!

ILOVETAN

This is crazy. I'd pare it down so it fits on one page. All this stuff about being a different person before or anymore than a sentence or two about why you divorced can be slashed out. You aren't "justifying" anything. Just giving a matter of fact timeline with a few details.

[~Laura and Nick~ 5]

We filed for our I-129F the day after I got my divorce.

I never mentioned it and I was just approved at my interview. They never even commented on the time line of my divorce to filing.

As for your 5 pages of....well...complete overkill...you don't need it.

Be straight and to the point. State how you first met, then how you met in person and approximately how many trips you've had. There is no need to go on and on and on about who you use to be, who you are now, how much you love one another, etc., etc., etc. You'll be fine.

Best of luck!!!

[pushbrk 13,176]

We filed for our I-129F the day after I got my divorce.

I never mentioned it and I was just approved at my interview. They never even commented on the time line of my divorce to filing.

As for your 5 pages of....well...complete overkill...you don't need it.

Be straight and to the point. State how you first met, then how you met in person and approximately how many trips you've had. There is no need to go on and on and on about who you use to be, who you are now, how much you love one another, etc., etc., etc. You'll be fine.

Best of luck!!!

Your advice is good but this is Vietnam, not Canada. "You'll be fine" is not just a stretch, its a fantasy. This is the most difficult Consulate in the world from which to obtain a K1 visa. The good news is that bona fide relationships almost always EVENTUALLY succeed but huge numbers have to overcome 221g results at initial interview for reasons that seem nonsensical to many.

[KandD 1]

My divorce papers stated date we separated and when the divorce was final. I had no problems. I did state in how we met that we couldnt get married due to the divorce was not final yet.